If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Any parent that has Noggin is familiar with Laurie Berkner. Between the Move to the Music interstitials and Jack’s Big Music Show, I’m sure I’m not the only one that has been known to hum Victor Vito in the car. Now you can get Laurie Berkner on demand with the release of We’re the Laurie Berkner Band.

The DVD is a nice blend of the songs you’re already familiar with, such as Bumblebee and We Are the Dinosaurs, and some songs that may become new favorites. One of the new songs, Walk Along the River has quickly become a favorite in our house. The song, inspired by walks along the Hudson River, is fun, upbeat, and like so much of Laurie’s music can be enjoyed by the whole family.

While most of the songs can be seen on Noggin, the presentations are slightly different. On the DVD we seem to see and hear more of Brian Mueller (bass, vocals, husband) and Susie Lampert (keyboards, vocals). Whether it is the keyboard in the calypso styled Under a Shady Tree, or Brian taking lead vocals on O’ Susannah the versions on the DVD seem to be richer. There are also several acapella renditions that feature all 3 including the lullabye Moon Moon Moon, and Telephone.

Two things seem to set Laurie Berkner apart from many of her contemporaries. First, the band seems so normal. Brian, Laurie, and Susie all seem like people you wouldn’t be afraid to have your kids talk to. It seems like so many of the acts try and connect with kids by being downright weird - including strange costumes and hair-dos. The Berkner band manages to connect with good music and natural friendliness. Second, many of the songs don’t necessarily sound like kids songs. The intro to Bumblebee sounds like any song you’d hear. And even the songs that do sound like kids music aren’t overly sugary or simplistic. The appeal for kids is that the songs are fun. The appeal for adults is that you actually don’t mind Laurie Berkner shaping your children’s music tastes.

If you’re interested in purchasing We’re the Laurie Berkner Band, it can be found at Starbucks and other outlets. In addition to the 11 tracks, there are 3 bonus tracks and a 5 song CD included.

Share This

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 26th, 2006 at 11:13 am and is filed under DVD News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.